Safety bomb-signal for trains.



W. McMANE.

SAFETY BOMB SIGNAL FOR TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. \916.

Patented J an. 30, 1917.

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W. McMANE.

SAFETY BOMB SIGNAL FOB TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. Z? 5235'. 1,214,291. faented Jan. 30, 1917.

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W. McMANE.

SAFETY BOMB SIGNAL FOR TRAINS.

APPLICATION mm mm. 2|. 1916. 1,214,201. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

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NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY BUhiB SIGNAL FOR TRAINS.

Application filed March 21, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WrLLnmr lisiohlnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at 9 South street, Summit, county oi Union, and State oi ilew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Safety Bomb-Signals for .lrains, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a safety appli ance for warning an engineer by a bomb explosion when the train is approaching a danger section of railway track.

The invention consists primarily in the provision of a so-called exploding rail. to support a bomb at the entrance of tracksection which is to beprotected, and-a born!- carrier adapted to set a bomb upon the surface of the exploding rail, a wheel upon the train in addition to the track-rails adapted to run over the exploding rail and thus explode the bomb 5, and in some cases, of means actuated by the movement oi the trainwheels upon the track, to close an electric circuit and produce an actuation of the bomb-carrier. I

The bomb-carrier consists of a slide movable into and out of a casing adjacent to the exploding rail. and the slide is preterably provided with a weight or spring to move it outward so as to hold the bombcarrier normally upon the top of the exploding rail.

Where the invention is used in connection with danger-signals upon a succession of track-sections, each track-section is provided with one of my appliances which would automatically place a bomb in an operative position when required.

The mechanism operates, while the train occupies a block-section, to leave the bomb upon the exploding rail preceding such section: the entrance of the train upon the sucan operation of the ceeding section causing bomb-carrier to retract the bomb into its casing.

The bomb-carrier may be connected mechanically to the signal-arm o f a semaphore, or to the mechanism connected therewith, so as to be moved in unison with such signal-arm, the connections operating when the arm is set at danger to release the bombcarrier, so that it may be projected from its Specification of Letters latent.

-passed the danger point.

Patented Jan. 30, 191?.

Serial No. 85,549.

casing by the actuating weight, and the bomb held upon the top of the exploding rail so long as the signal-arm stands at danger.

The dropping of the signal arm to safety operates through the same connections to retract the bomb-carrier into its casing. The bomb-carrier may be connected mechanically to a switch-shifter shaft, arm, or lever, so that when the main-track is opened by shifting the switch and moving the switch-tongues, the bomb-carrier may be released and the bomb moved outward to the top of the exploding rail. The switcharm or post, when the main-track is thus opened, would display a danger signal, and the connection between such switch-shifter. and the bomb-carrier would insure the movement of both in unison, to indicate danger" or safety.

The exploding rail may be set in any location parallel with the exploding wheel may travel over it, a spring-mounted wheel being required, but it is preferably set intermediate to the trackails, and set at least an inch above the same so that the wheel when adjusted to touch the exploding rail and explode the bomb, would move entirely clear of the track-rails at switches and crossings. The frame carrying the wheel is preferably attached to the front of the locomotive or its pilot, so as to give warning before the locomotive has The wheel may be made movable vertically and a handlever provided to raise it above its normal position, so that when the engine is backing or running over a bomb in shunting operations, the wheel may be lifted to clear the bomb.

The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing. in which- Figure l is a cross sectionoit' a railway track provided with mv improvement, and a semaphore ,tower adiacent thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan oi the same parts; Fig. 3 is a plan of the casing for the bomb-carrier with the cover and the slide removed, the shifting lug upon the slide being sh wn in section; Fig. 4i is a longitudinal section at the center line of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a transverse section across the middle portion of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the casing. and Fig. an end elevation of the same. Fig. 8

the track-rails so that is a plan of a track-section with a switch and shifter connected to a bomb-carrier; Fig. 9 is an elevation of the explosion rail with the wheel and its frame over the same upon the nose of a cow-catcher; Fig. 10 is a front view of the wheel and its frame; Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an electrical motor agent for shifting the bomb-carrier.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A, A designate the track-rails, B an explosion rail located between them and set at a higher level; and C is the casing of the bomb-carrier D. E is a semaphore tower having a signal arm F front end of the the slide with the shown in Fig. 1, set to danger. A battery w is shown adjacent to the semaphore tower, with circuit wire w extended thereto, and lines to and to showing circuit connections to the rails A and A of the track. This battery and wires represent the usual circuit connections supplied to the dangersignal upon each track-section in a blocksystem, the circuit being normally open, and closed by the truck wheels of any passing train, to set the signal at danger. In this invention the bomb-carrier is actuated by a connection to the danger-signal. G designates a movable connection, as a cord or rod, between said signal arm and the bomb-carrier D, the arrangement being such that the connection G is slackened when the arm is set to danger, and the bomb-carrier then moved forward by a weight or spring to set a bomb a over the explosion rail B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. f

The bomb-carrier D is shown as a flat slide (see Figs. 3 to 7 movable transversely to the rail B between guides b in the casing C, and supported upon anti-friction balls a movable in raceways c beneath the slide.

A lug cl is shown projected from the under side of the slide, and a wire rope e is shown clamped in such lug by a screw f, one end being extended over a pulley e to a weight g movable in a tube 9 extended from the bottom of the casing C. The other end of the rope is extended over a pulley h to be united to the semaphore connection G, which is shown effected by a coupling G.

The bomb a is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 provided with a square shank a adapted to fit a square hole a in the slide near its outer end. The outward movement of the slide is limited by a stop 6 within the casing, see Fig. 4, with which the lug d contacts, at the pro-per limit, and the inward movement is limited by the contact of the inner end of rear end of the casing, as will be apparent from Fig. 4. V

A recess 2' is formed in a hood 7' upon the cover 0 of the casingyto permit the inclosure of the slide is retracted with, the bomb thereon. Such would be the normal condition of the device when placed in readiness to be opertac'hed to the pilot F bomb when the When the semaphore-arm is set at"safety' the tension upon theiconnection G would act to pull the rope e and retract the sl de Into the casing, at the same time lifting the weight G into an operativeposition so that it would project the slide over the rail B, whenever the cord was slackened by the shifting of the semaphore-arm.

A notch 0 is, in Figs. 3, a and 9, shown in the top of the exploding rail B of suitable width and depth to receive the outer end of the bomb-carrier D, and set its upper surface flush with the surface of the rail B, as shown in Fig. 9. The railB is shown with ends B sloping downwardly to permit the gradual access of the exploding wheel is to the exploding rail and the bomb (1, as is indicated by the arrow kin F is. 9. Any projection above the top of'the rail D would cause aserious jar to the wheel when the train is moving at much speed.

The wheel-frame is shown in Fig. 9 atof a locomotive, and

has a base Z Withcolumnsm thereon containing springs in which the spindle n of the is thus supported yieldingly upon the train, so as to press the wheel elasticallyupon the exploding-rail and permit it to rise as it rolls upon the sloping ends B. r The downward movement of the spindle'toward the track-rails is limited by means of screws 11. in the bottom of the columns m, which may thus'adjust the spindle it into any desired relation to the cow-catcher and the rail D.

A yoke g is shown connected by a link (7' with a crank 1' mounted above the wheel k, the crank having a hand-lever 7* attached thereto from which a cord 1" may be carried within reach of the engineer. The crank press downward upon and yoke serve to lift the axle n so as to clear the bomb a if the locomotive be running. backward, asoften' happens with shunting engines upon main-line tracks. This mechanism thus avoids any unnecessary explosion of bombs, but would not, of

course, be used when the train is running" Fig. 8 shows the connections between a switch-shifter and its danger signal and the 'bomb-carrien The switch points are marked 8, s, and are shown shifted to open the main-line track A, A, and the signal 25 upon the switch-post it being then turned transversely of the track to indicate danger wheel is. The spindle as with the ordinary steam' lEJ amper to an approaching train. The rod u, by which the switch-lever 'v actuates the switchpoints, is connected by a cord 4) with the bomb-carrier slide D, so as to hold it retracted when the switch is closed and the signal 2? turned to safety; but operating, as shown in Fig. 8, to slacken the cord when the switch-signal t is turned to danger, and thus permitting the bomb-carrier to move outwardly so that the bomb would give warning of danger. The switch-signal t and the bomb-carrier thus operate in unison, and the bomb is automatically set to give warning of danger when the main-line rails are open.

The relation of the bomb-carrier to the switch and its signal is thus precisely the same as its relation to the semaphore its signal; but the invention is also adapted, as shown in Fig. 11, for operating independently of either a semaphore or a switch. Such arrangement requires that the rails of the railway be insulated one from the other and divided into block-sections, and the rails of each section connected respectively to the opposite poles of an electric generator 20 The bomb-carrier is located in the end of such track-section marked A in Fig. 11, and the electric motor agent w is placed in the circuit w adjacent to the bomb-carrier, and is so connected to the bomb-carrier as to retract the same, as shown in Fig. 11, when the circuit is opened and the succeeding track-section M is clear. When such succeeding track-section is occupied the circuit is closed, as is expressed by the axle and wheels y resting upon the track-rails, and the electric agent then operates to release the bomb-carrying slide, and thus permit the weight g to move the bomb over the rail for exploding.

The motor agent to is shown as an electric solenoid, which is connected to the rear end of the slide d, as in Fig. 8, to pull the bombcarrier into its casing when the electric circuit is closed, but exerting no action when the circuit is open; and then permitting the 'weight g to automatically move the bombcarrier out of its casing to expose the bomb upon the rail.

A sliding bomb-carrier is illustrated to move the bomb to and frim the surface of the exploding rail, but it is obviously immaterial what form of bomb-carrier be used, and what form of connections are used to actuate the bomb-carrier and expose the bomb when a train passes the bomb-shifter and enters upon an insulated section of track.

Having thus set forth the nature of the in vention what is claimed herein is:

1. In a railway safety appliance, the combination, with an exploding-rail supported parallel with the track-rails, of a bomb-carrier adapted to move a bomb to and from and,

the surface of the exploding-rail, and a Wheel separate from the track-wheels supported yieldingly upon the train to run over the exploding-rail and explode a bomb thereon.

2. In a railway safety appliance, the combination, with an exploding-rail supported parallel with the track-rails, of a bomb-carrier adapted to move a bomb to and from the surface of the exploding-rail, a wheel separate from the track-wheels supported yieldingly upon the train to run over the exploding-rail, and means operated by a train in'times of danger for moving the bomb-carrier over the exploding-rail. I

3. In a railway safety appliance. the combination, with a system of block-signals indicating danger on track-sections, of an exploding-rail intermediate to the track-rails, a bomb-carrier adapted to move a bomb to and from the surface of the exploding-rail, a wheel-frame carried by the train and supporting a Wheel separate from the trackwheels for exploding a bomb upon the exploding-rail, and means for moving the bomb-carrier in unison with the dangersignal.

4. In a railway safety appliance, the com bination, with an exploding-rail sustained intermediate to the track-rails, of a bombcarrying slide movable transverse to the exploding-rail, a wheel separate from the track-wheels supported yieldingly upon the train to press upon the exploding-rail, and such exploding-rail being sloped downwardly at its ends to receive the yielding wheel.

5. In a railway safety appliance, the combination, with the track-rails, of an explod ing rail intermediate to the track-rails and set above the level of the same, a bomb-carrier movable to and from the surface of the exploding rail and a wheel carried by the train and held normally above the level of the track-rails to clear the surface of all track-rails, but supported yieldinglV to em gage the surface of the exploding rail to operate upon the bomb,

6. In a railway safetV appliance, the c-Jm bination, with the track-rails, of an exploding rail intermediate to the track-rails and set above the level of the same, a transverse notch in the too of the exploding rail, a bomb-carrier slide movable into the notch flush with the said rail-top. and a wheel carried by the train and held normally above the level of the track-rails and arranged t0 elastically engage the surface of the exploding rail to operate upon the bomb.

7. In a railway safety ap liance, the combination. with the track-rails. of an exploding rail intermediate to the track-rails and set above the level of the same, a casing transverse to the exploding rail, a bombtract the slide into the casingin times of safety.

8. In a railway safety appliance, the com-- bination, With an exploding rail parallel With the track-rails andsustained above the level of the same, of a bomb-carrier adapted to set a bomb upon the top of the exploding rail, and a Wheel-frame carried by the train and supporting a Wheel ata level to clear all the traclerails, and adapted to 7 press elastically upon the explosion rail and explode the bomb thereon. a

9. In a railway safety appliance, the combination, with anexploding' rail parallel with the track-rails and sustained above the level of the same, of a bomb-carrier adapt- Coples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each; by addressing the porting a Wheel at a level-to clear the track rails, meansfor adjusting-the level at which the wheel shall be sustained, and means 7' upon the train for manually lifting the Wheel to clear the bomb when desired.

10. In a railway safety appliance, the r combination, with an exploding rail parallel with the track rails and sustained above the level of the same, of a' bomb-carrier adapted to set a bomb upon the exploding rail, a Wheel-frame carried by the train and supporting a Wheel at a level to clear the track-rails, springs pressing the Wheel normally downward to press the Wheel upon the exploding rail, means for limiting the downward movement of the wheel and meansupon the train for manually lifting;

the Wheel to clear the bomb when desired.

In testimony whereof I have. hereunto set my hand. a V

7 WILLIAM MQMANE.

Washington. I). 0; V a

Commissioner of Patents. 

